August 2025

Germany/Brazil: Researchers at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in Saxony-Anhalt and the University of Pará in Pará have produced a cement alternative with 66% reduced CO₂ emissions. A type of calcium sulphoaluminate cement, it replaces up to 60% of limestone in clinker with overburden from bauxite mining. Researchers demonstrated that the resulting product conforms to all standards for commercial Ordinary Portland Cement. The results of the research have been published in ‘Sustainable Materials and Technologies.’

Pakistan: The Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) has asked the government to appoint a commission to investigate rises in cement prices. The Pakistan Observer newspaper has reported that ABAD chair Fayyaz Ilyas alleged that producers had colluded as a cartel. He said that price rises have prevented the construction sector from being able to realise the aims of the Naya Pakistan housing scheme.

Spain: Cementos Molins has agreed to acquire Hanson Hispania’s assets in Catalonia. The Expansión newspaper has reported that the business consists of two concrete plants and multiple quarries. It generated sales of Euro18m in 2020 and employs 41 people.

Chief executive officer Julio Rodríguez said "This operation will allow Cementos Molins to reinforce its presence in Spain and strengthen its leadership in sustainable concrete solutions in Catalonia." He added "The strategic location of the plants and quarries, close to the Barcelona metropolitan area, responds to our commitment to offer more efficient and sustainable solutions for homes and infrastructures."

Nepal: Huaxin Cement Narayani has completed construction of its 3000t/day Dhading cement plant in Bagmati and plans to commence production before November 2021. The Xinhua News Agency has reported that construction of plant, a joint venture of Vaidya’s Organisation of Industries and Trading Houses and China-based Huaxin Cement subsidiary Huaxin Central Asia Investment (Wuhan), started in early 2019 but was delayed by floods, disputes over land acquisition and the coronavirus pandemic. It is Nepal’s second cement plant backed by Chinese investors following the opening of Hongshi-Shivam Cement in 2018. In 2020, the country produced 7.49Mt of cement, towards serving a demand of 9.05Mt/yr nationally.

India: Dalmia Cement has signed three memoranda of understanding with the state government of Jharkhand. The memoranda provide that the Dalmia Bharat subsidiary will invest US$104m in expanding its cement operations in the state. The producer’s plans consist of a US$68.5m upgrade and capacity expansion to its Bokaro cement grinding plant. The project will increase the existing production line’s capacity to 3.7Mt/yr and add a new grinding line, bringing the total plant’s capacity to 6.3Mt/yr. In addition the cement producer will spend US$34m towards building a solar power plant and the remainder will be spent on setting up a waste management facility.

Belgium: Holcim Belgium is hosting a public meeting as a preliminary step towards applying for a permit to install a new kiln line at its Obourg cement plant in Mons. The line is intended to replace the existing kiln line as it reaches the end of its operational life. The subsidiary of Switzerland-based Holcim has called the proposed project Go4Zero. The new kiln will be designed to concentrate CO₂ emissions to allow for capture and recovery. Limestone for the plant will be extracted from a quarry at Tournaisis and transported to the plant by railway.

Australia: A South Australian court has found former Adbri (formerly called Adelaide Brighton) accounts manager Glenda Burgess guilty of nine counts of deception and nine counts of dishonest dealing between 2009 and 2017. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has reported that Burgess increased AdBri’s customer Concrete Supply’s credit limits, concealed its debts and created ‘large’ manual entries in her employer’s accounts to benefit it. The company only paid around US$14.5m for cement worth US$23m during the period under investigation. However, the prosecution said that Concrete Supply was not complicit in the alleged crime. Sentencing for the case is due to take place later in 2021.

Myanmar: An outbreak of Covid-19 in Panglaung township, where 57 new cases have been recorded since late August 2021, allegedly originated at a cement plant. The Shan Herald Agency has reported that the Nagar cement plant in Si Kip, Shan state was allegedly flouting Covid-19 safety regulations. 21 employees of the plant have tested positive in the latest outbreak of the virus.

Sweden: Cementa will not be able to appeal a land and environmental court’s ruling preventing it from using its quarries on the island of Gotland. The Swedish supreme court has ruled that the subsidiary of Germany-based HeidelbergCement has no basis for appeal. Its previous application to extend mining activities at the sites until 2041 failed due to shortcomings in its environmental impact assessments. The quarries supply cement production at the company’s Slite cement plant in Gotland.

Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement has joined the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Decisions (TCFD) Consortium. The consortium is committed to facilitating effective and efficient disclosure of climate-related corporate information and their use by financial institutions. As a member, Sumitomo Osaka Cement will conduct scenario analysis on the climate change impacts of all its businesses. This includes its cement business, which the company says accounts for the majority of its CO₂ emissions.